Recoil and counter-recoil mechanism for guns



May 5, l931. T. A. coNLcN RECOIL AND COUNTER RECOIL MECHNISM FOR GUNSFiled Nov. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet tow Si l :mitm

Thames M @wf Guanta.,

May 5, l93l. T. A. coNLoN RECOIL AND COUNTER RECOIL MECHANISM FOR GUNS 2Sheets-Shea# 2 Filed Nov. 7,y 192.8

5 f L f 4 Patented May 5, 1931 rrroMAs A. conron, orsrLvEn sparire,MARYLAND RECOIL ANB COUNTER-REGGIL J'IvEGI-IANSM FOR GUNS Applicationled November 7, 192%. Serial No. 317,813.

(GRANTED 'UNDER THE ACT F 1.1153011 3, 1333, AS AMENDED APRIL 30, 1928;370 0. Gr. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured andused by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without thepayment to me of any royalty thereon.

r1`his invention relates to recoil and counterrecoil mechanism for guns.

r1`he principal object of the present invention is to utilize a portionof the powder gases of discharge for retarding the recoil movement of agun and to make the resulting com- CSD pressed gases available forrestoring the gun to battery. `The invention includes a provision forholding the gun in a variable position of battery at all angles ofelevation and vthe, holding means is designed to release the gun for itsmovement in recoil only when the propellantcharge has been set o.

The system of controlling the movement of the gun by means of powdergases,.as proposed `by McGlean in Patent No. 749,215, contemplated theleast possible movement of the gun in recoil but in the presentinvention the normal recoil appropriate to the maintenance of stabilityof the amount is preserved.

W ith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides inthe novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinalsection of a gun constructed in accordance with the invention andshowing the parts in position of battery;

2 is a similar view with the parts in position of full recoil;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view through the forward end of the recoilmechanism; Y

Fig. l is an enlarged longitudinal, sectional view of the holding means;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

longitudinal, sectional Fig. v6 Vis a sectional view of amodified formof holding means.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference Y There is shown agun 5 mounted to slide through normal distances in a cradle 6 which isprovided with the usual trunnions 7. A cylinder 8, arranged parallel tothe gun and secured thereto by means of a bracket 9 so that it will movewith the gun7 is open at its rear end to receive a piston 10 fixed tothe cradle 6. The cylinder head at the forward end of the cylinder isformed by a plug 11 which is threadedly secured to the bracket 9 andretains an apertured disk 12 against the end faceof the cylinder. Thedisk and plug are fo 1med to establish a chamber' 13 Vwhich is incommunication with the bore lll of the gun through a passage 15 which`may `be entirely or only partially lined with a-bush.

ing 16. The apertures 17 in the dis 13 are normally closed by a checkvalve 18 disposed within the cylinderand preferably having its stem 19extending through the disk 13 and plug 12 'to externally carry a spring20.v`

1n operation when the gun is fired a portion of the rapidly expandinggases of discharge will pass into the chamber 13, cause the opening ofthe valve and be delivered into rthe cylinder 8 which by reason of itsattachment to the gun, is partaking of the recoil movement. n During theinitial stage of recoil, the pressures in the chamber 13 and in thecylinder will have been equalized and the 4valve closed by its spring.Thereafter' the gases which are confined in the cylinder will becompressed as the cylinder head approaches the pistonlO and will act to'yieldingly check the recoil of the gun and then restore the gun to itsnormal battery position. `W ith the gun in battery a vent 21 in thecylinder 8 will be aligned with a vent 21o; in the cradle 6 so that thecylinder may be cleared between shots.

Because the structure of the cylinder and piston are not such as toretain the gases indefinitely, it becomes necessary to Vprovide somemeans for holding the gun in the position of battery, irrespective ofthe inclination oft-he gun. A provision for accomplishing` this purposeis illustrated in FiO. 4rand consists essentially of a friction couplingof the movable disk type `conveniently inclosed in a cylinder 22, fixedto the cradle. lVithin the cylinder is a rod 23 secured to a lug 24e atthe breech end vof the gun and, consequently, reciprocal therewith. Theforward end of the rod carries a series of disks 25, which are disposed.alternately with respectto a series of disks 26 attached to the innerperiphery ofa drum 2'? which is rotatably mounted on the rod. rlhe disksare forced into engagement` in the usual manner by meansof springs 28acting on a pressure plate 29.

'The drum 2i' is provided'on its external periphery with a number ofkeys 80 which move in cam slots 8l foi-n ed in a sleeve 32 fixed in theforward end of the cylinder 22. The cam slots are extended for asufficient distance to enable the friction coupling to perform itsfunction in holding the gun in variable positions which are only aslight distance out of battery and from which the gun may be fired.rllhe resista-nce exerted by the friction couplingl in preventing rotarymorement of the drum and consequent longitudinal displacement of the gunis calculated to safely hold the weight of the gun at all angles ofelevation. llhis resistance is overcome when the gun is red and theforce of the explosion moves the gun in recoil. During such movement thedrum is constrained to rotate and its friction disks caused to slip.When the gun, after having completed its running-out movement isrestored to batt-ery,

the friction coupling acts as a buffer to check A the momentum of thecounterfrecoiling parts, brings them to rest and holds them inthe'arrested position.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, the keys 33 are mounted Yonpintles so that they may follow a rectilinear slot 35 in con-V tinuationof the helical slot 36. ln this arrangement the cam slot 3G may be ofnonuniform pitch which will be of advantage in more gradually arrestingthe counter-recoilmg gun.

i claim:

l. In a gun, a barrel mounted to recoil and counter-recoil throughnormal distances, bracket lined to the barrel, a recoil vc,'flinderlixed to and terminating within the bracket, an apertured disk at theforward end of the cylinder, a head secured to the bracket in positionto retain the disk and form therewith a chamber, a Valve disposed in therecoil cylinder and normally isolating it from the chamber in thecylinder head, a passage establishing communication between the cylinderhead chamber andthe bore of the rel, al piston fixed to the cradle andworking in the cylinder and means for holding the barrel in batterythrough all angles of elevation.

2. In a gun, a barrel mounted to recoil and counter-recoil throughnormal distances, a recoil cylinder fixed to the barrel and having apiston chamber and a gas inlet chamber, a valve within the pistonchamber normally isolating it from the inlet chamber, a passageestablishing communication between the inlet chamber andthe bore of thebarrel, a fixed piston working in the recoil cylinder and means forholding the barrel in battery through all angles of elevation.

3. ln a gun, a barrel mounted to recoil and counter-recoil throughnormal distances, a recoil cylinder movable with the barrel and having'communication with the bore of the barrel to permit flow of gasesY fromthe barrel into the cylinder, a valve in the cylinder for preventingreturn of the gases, a fixed piston working in the recoil cylinder andmeans for holding the barrel in battery.

d. A cradle, a gun, reciprocal moimt'e'd thereon, recoil. mechanismutilizing Ithe gases vof discharge to check recoil and restore the gunto battery and means for releasably i lding the gun in variablepositions of battery.

5. rlhe combination Vith a cradle and gun recipiocally mounted thereonfor recoil'and counter-recoil movement, of means for holding the gun inbattery, including a cylinder fixed to the cradle, a rod working in saidcylinder and iiXed to the gun, a drum on the free end of the rodconstrained to rotate thereon during initial longitudinal displacementof the rod and a friction coupling between the rod andv drum. I

6. A cradle, a gun mounted thereon for recoil and counter-recoilmovement, means for holding the gun in battery including a rod securedto the gun, a drum rotatably mounted on the free end of the r'o'd, meanson the cradle for imparting rotation to the drum on longitudinaldisplacement of the rod and a friction coupling between the rod anddrum.

7. The combination with a. gun provided with a recoil and counter-recoilmechanism, of means for admitting propellant gases from the gunbarrel'to the mechanism to opposev recoil and tio counter-recoil the gunand means for locking the gun in any position within the limits of itsiii-battery position.

8. The combination with a gun provided with a counter-recoil mechanismwherein the force producing counter-recoil is Xpended when the gun isreturned to iii-battery position, of means for locking the gun inposition within the limits of its in-battery position.

THOMAS A. CONLO`\T.

